GAZA CITY: Health officials in Gaza reported on Saturday that Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 60 more people in the besieged Palestinian territory. The death toll has now surpassed 23,843 people, mostly women and children, since the conflict began on October 7.
Fears of the conflict widening intensified after US and British forces conducted strikes on Houthi rebels in Yemen in response to attacks on Red Sea shipping. The US military has confirmed a new airstrike on Gaza on Saturday.
Witnesses in the Gaza Strip reported intense Israeli bombardment in the early morning. The health ministry spokesman, Ashraf al-Qudra, stated that the latest casualties resulted from Israeli airstrikes and artillery fire, with dozens more sustaining injuries.
Israel’s ongoing bombardment has raised concerns about the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza. Winter rains have exacerbated conditions, displacing nearly 85 percent of the population in the besieged Palestinian territory, according to UN estimates.
Dire Humanitarian Situation in Gaza
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) accused Israel of systematically blocking aid convoys into northern Gaza, particularly hampering support for hospitals. OCHA’s head for the Palestinian territories, Andrea De Domenico, expressed dismay at the “level of inhumanity… beyond comprehension.”
The health ministry spokesman accused Israel of deliberately targeting hospitals, endangering their functionality and warning of devastating repercussions. Hospitals, protected under international humanitarian law, have frequently been hit by Israeli strikes during the conflict.
In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where violence surged amid the Israel-Hamas war, Israeli troops killed three Palestinians. The International Court of Justice heard arguments this week in a case brought by South Africa, accusing Israel of breaching the UN Genocide Convention. Israel emphasized self-defense in its response to the court, which is expected to issue an initial ruling within weeks.
